Pochology Academy Hosts Miss Masbate Province 2017 Talent Competition

On April 19, Filipino motivational speaker Pocholo "The VoiceMaster" Gonzales hosted the Ms. Masbate Province 2017 Talent Competition, together with the Voice Care Queen, Ada Cuaresma. Fifteen beautiful and talented Masbatenas vied for the Ms. Masbate Province crown, which was awarded in 2016 to former Pinoy Big Brother “housemate,” Kisses Delavin.



Hundreds of Masbatenos, young and old, flocked to the Mabate Provincial Capitol to witness the Talent Competition. The event opened with the introduction of the candidates and the Board of Judges. Pocholo energized the crowd by showcasing his own talent in voice acting, and doing a repertoire of character voices, as well as voice impressions of famous politicians and celebrities. The crowd was left amazed and in awe as he performed a one-man radio drama from one of the classics, Gabi ng Lagim.

Inspirational messages were shared by Masbate’s Vice Governor, Atty. Kaye Revil, and Congresswoman Olga Kho. Both of them reminded the audience that the pageant is not just a competition, but also a reminder of what it means to be a true Masbateno.



One by one, the Ms. Masbate Province candidates took the stage to showcase various talents. Some candidates performed different kinds of dances, while others did an acting monologue. Other candidates showcased unique talents such as painting, karate and baton twirling. The Board of Judges tabulated the scores to award the top 3 Best in Talent.

The Talent Competition also featured the final walk of the reigning Ms. Masbate Province – former PBB Housemate Kisses Delavin. Pocholo entertained the crowd once more by doing a voice impression of Kuya, as Big Brother is more popularly known.



After her walk, she remained onstage for a quick interview by the hosts. Kisses shared a very inspiring message, on achieving and never giving up on one’s dreams. She also assured the audience that she would always look forward to coming home to Masbate no matter where her dreams may take her. In this tangent, Pocholo also shared his own words of wisdom as a Filipino motivational speaker, and challenged the audience to not only be inspired, but to become an inspiration to their fellow Filipinos as well.

The Ms. Masbate Province 2017 Pageant Night happened on April 21, where the winners were crowned – Ms. Monreal Rose Lagamayo as 2^nd Runner Up, Ms. Placer Rose Marie Barrun as 1^st Runner Up, and Ms. Uson Vanna Vefsie Discaya as Ms. Masbate Province 2017.

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Pochology Academy Hosts the First International Leadership Summit and Seminar in Inclusive Education

The Teacher’s Gallery, together with SMX Convention Center Manila, and SM Cares Foundation, organized the First International Leadership Summit and Seminar in Inclusive Education. This three-day event is being held on February 22-24, 2017 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. With the theme, “I AM YOU: Opening Minds, Opening Hearts,” the summit is a one-of-a-kind gathering of educators, legislators, local government officials, parents and students that advocate inclusive education.

Pocholo “The VoiceMaster” Gonzales was invited to host the first day of the summit, together with Ada Cuaresma, one of Pochology Academy’s trainers and speakers. Together with Biboy, a 4^th-year PWD student from Centro Escolar University, they led the audience through a day of fun and learning about inclusive education.



The day started with a doxology and the singing of the Philippine National Anthem, led by the Philippine School for the Blind and the School for the Deaf. Soon after, Pocholo, Ada and Biboy started the program with high energy as they welcome the participants. The opening remarks was delivered by Engr. Bien C. Mateo, Vice President for Operations and Director of SM Cares Program on Persons with Disability.

There were three speakers during the morning session. The keynote speaker was Professor Tony Booth from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. Tony is the author of “Index for Inclusion: A guide to school development led by inclusive values”. He shared his 30 years of experience in researching, teaching and writing about inclusive education.



After Professor Booth’s talk, the VoiceMaster came back onstage to energize the audience with an icebreaker. He also introduced the art of voice acting to the teachers, and emphasized the importance of using the voice effectively in teaching especially persons with disability in class. He also amazed the audience with his voice acting prowess by performing a one-man radio drama onstage.

Mr. Erick Marco Ramos was the next speaker, who shared his success story of thriving despite disability. Erick is the first blind person to qualify for the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program administered by the US Fullbright Commission. He talked about his experiences and the lessons he learned along the way.



The last speaker in the morning was Dr. Stella Manalo, head of the Center for Developmental Pediatrics of The Medical City. She shared her experiences in handling young PWD patients, and shared valuable insights to parents and teachers on how to do their part in developing these children.

After lunch, there were several parallel sessions for paper presentations and mini-seminars on inclusive education.

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The VoiceMaster Hosts Oyayi TV Launch in Davao City

The newest children’s show on Philippine Television took Davao City!

On December 14, the cast of Oyayi TV invaded the Davao City National High School gymnasium to meet and greet with thousands of students and teachers from the school. A half-day program of fun, games and learning was prepared for the students. The event was hosted by voice artist, youth advocate and motivational speaker Pocholo “The VoiceMaster” Gonzales, who also hosted the grand launch of the show in Manila last November.

Pocholo’s perfect blend of hosting skills, wit, and voice acting prowess made him a one-man powerhouse onstage. The audience roared with laughter as he made the program fun and exciting all throughout. Honorable guests from the Department of Education, National Council for Children’s Television, and CBN Asia also spoke onstage to highlight the importance of having a values-oriented program for children, amidst tons of consumable content on the internet and social media.

During the program, the VoiceMaster did not just entertain the audience, but also shared his experience in understanding how young people today think and behave differently. As a youth advocate, he reminded the parents and teachers present that educating today’s kids is very different from how the older generation learned as students. He encouraged the adult in the audience to embrace the truth that digital technology is now part of young people’s lifestyle, so they should understand instead of reprimand its use.

In the middle of the program, the students were engaged in a fun game, followed by a preview of one of Oyayi’s episodes. Then the long wait was over, as the cast of Oyayi was soon called onstage for meet and greet and photo opp with the students. Led by the main character Kuya Maki, the Oyayi crew is composed of characters inspired by animals that are native to the Philippines – Tama Raw, Bon Haribon, Diva Butanding, Tarsiera, and Dok Pil.

Oyayi airs every Sunday morning at 9:30am in ABS CBN. The title is derived from the Tagalog term meaning “lullaby,” and was based on an award-winning story of the same title by Fernando Rosal Gonzales.

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